The Mexican Army has finished establishing military reinforcements along the entire length of the highway from San Cristobal to Las Margaritas, in order to prevent the exit of the Zapatistas.
"A Major Deployment of Police and Military Forces in La Realidad", Herman Bellinghausen, reporter, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, La Jornada Oct. 5
An intensive deployment of police and soldiers was noted today during the day on the road that leads to La Realidad. It was a significant deployment of troops of the federal Army, Judicial Federal Police, Public Security of the State, as well as immigration agents of the office of the Secretary of Governance.
All vehicles were stopped, and identification was demanded from all passengers. An exhaustive search of the vehicles and the baggage, as well as of the backpacks of peasants was carried out. Especially the indigenous were aggressively searched, including their clothes, according to the reports by the NGOs.
The operation included searches of the tires, the glove compartments, the engine. The checkpoint was guarded by tanks and artillery vehicles of the federal Army.
It is important to note that this is the road that will be traveled the next few days by members of the procession that will go to La Realidad to invite the Zapatista comandantes to attend the National Indigenous Congress, that will be conducted in the capital.
A vehicle of the International Red Cross that also went through the roadblock received the same rigorous treatment. Even an eyewitness reports that he heard a soldier indicate to his subordinate, pointing to the Red Cross vehicle: Them too, because they can be camouflaged" With this unusual operation tension in the so-called zone of conflict has increased considerably. It is the first time that an action of this nature was carried out since the Law for Dialogue and Reconciliation in Chiapas has been in effect. What is more, in the judgment of some of the witnesses, an operation like this was never before carried out in the zone.
"Harassment of Foreigners Reported in La Realidad", Elio Henrequez, reporter , San Crist'bal de las Casas, Chiapas, La Jornada, October 5 Foreigners from various countries who have tried to enter the Lacandon jungle to accompany a delegation of Zapatista leaders who will be traveling to Mexico City have been harassed during the past few days by immigration officials at the immigration checkpoint outside of Las Margaritas, according to NGOs.
The immigration agents are "taking photographs, videotaping and interrogating" foreigners who tried to enter the jungle to deliver humanitarian aid and to accompany the Zapatista leaders.They also have been given appointments at the immigration offices in San Cristobal de las Casas, and once there they are told to leave the country within a certain period of time.
"Patrols intensified in the communities around Ocosingo", Juan Balboa, reporter, Tuxtla Gutierrez, La Jornada October 6 In Ocosingo, one of the three municipalities in the so-called conflict zone, there has been an increase in the number of patrols through various communities, particularly in the area around San Jose, a collective farm whose residents are Zapatistas. The environment has grown tense, affirmed officials at the city hall. Interviewed by phone, the representatives of the city council in Ocosingo stated that the possible trip by the Zapatistas to Mexico City has caused the increase in military patrols in communities considered to be sympathizers of the Zapatistas. One official in Las Margaritas reported, "We do not know how large the [military] mobilizations are, but we have seen new checkpoints".